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BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 10:22 am

Tell Me
Michael Franks
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Smooth west coast singer ....

An enormously popular performer in the late '70s and early '80s, though his
jazz credentials are in dispute. Franks performed folk/rock songs while in high
school, then became a literature student at UCLA and a part-time performer. He
taught undergraduate music courses in the early '70s at both UCLA and Berkeley,
then provided scores for the films Count Your Bullets and Zandy's Bride. He made
his first album in 1973, then enjoyed success with a string of late '70s albums on
Warner Brothers. He has worked with the likes of Flora Purim, Kenny Rankin, Ron
Carter, the Crusaders, David Sanborn, Toots Thielemans, Eric Gale, and others,
and has had songs recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Labelle, Carmen
McRae, and the Carpenters.

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~Shears user posted image

BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 5:40 pm

Every Time I Close My Eyes
Babyface
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Smooth Crooner......

As a singer, producer, and songwriter, Babyface was an inescapable
presence in virtually every major facet of pop music during the '90s. His
own recordings helped rejuvenate the R&B tradition of the smooth,
sensitive, urban crooner and made him a staple of urban contemporary
radio. Yet their considerable success was eclipsed by his songwriting
and production work for other artists, which linked him with some of the
biggest stars and hit singles of the decade (and not just in the realm of
R&B). You'd be hard pressed to name a '90s hitmaker with a track
record more consistently successful and versatile than
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.

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BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 6:02 pm

After The Dance
DeBarge
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Family Smooth...

Groomed to be the heirs to the Jackson 5 throne in the early '80s,
DeBarge mirrored the Jacksons early success with a string of hits, but
were unable to sustain their winning streak. Originally formed in 1978
and hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the quintet was comprised of four
brothers (Eldra, Mark, James, and Randy) and one sister (Bunny). The
band signed on with the same label that the Jacksons started with,
Motown, courtesy of their two older brothers, Tommy and Bobby (both
of whom were members of another Motown act at the time, Switch).

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BillySHEARS

Thursday, 29 September 2005, 10:22 am

I'm Yours
DeBarge
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BillySHEARS

Friday, 30 September 2005, 6:23 pm

Lovely Day
Bill Withers
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Classic Smooth...

Songwriter/singer/guitarist Bill Withers is best remembered for the
classic "Lean on Me" and his other million-selling singles "Ain't No
Sunshine" and "Use Me," but he has a sizable cache of great songs to
his credit. Al Jarreau recorded an entire CD of Withers' songs on Tribute
to Bill Withers (Culture Press 1998). His popular radio-aired LP track
from Still Bill, "Who Is He? (And What Is He to You?)," was a 1974 R&B
hit for Creative Source.

Born July 4, 1938, in Slab Folk, WV, Withers was the youngest of six
children. His father died when he was a child and he was raised by his
mother and grandmother. After a nine-year stint in the Navy, Withers
moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career in 1967.

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BillySHEARS

Saturday, 1 October 2005, 10:18 am

Take A Message
Remy Shand
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Smooth Memphis Neo-Soul....

Remy Shand emerged on to the
neo-soul circuit in 2002 with The Way I Feel, a potent canon of songs
inspired by classic Motown and Memphis soul. Primarily home-schooled
in his native Vancouver, Shand began raiding his parents record
collection at an early age -- soaking up a wide range of jazz, soul, and
R&B, with Marvin Gaye's classic Here, My Dear having a profound
influence on his musical direction. Dropping out of high school to study
and pursue music full-time, Shand played as a session musician and
was a member of various experimental groups until he decided to focus
a solo career. In 1998, he began to write and record the songs that
would later become The Way I Feel.

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BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 5 October 2005, 9:42 am

Send Your Love
Sting
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Literate, Intelligent & Smooth...

After disbanding the Police at the peak of their popularity in 1984,
Sting quickly established himself as a viable solo artist, one obsessed
with expanding the boundaries of pop music. Sting incorporated heavy
elements of jazz, classical, and worldbeat into his music, writing lyrics
that were literate and self-consciously meaningful, and he was never
afraid to emphasize this fact in the press. For such unabashed ambition,
he was equally loved and reviled, with supporters believing that he was
at the forefront of literate, intelligent rock and his critics finding his
entire body of work pompous.

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BillySHEARS

Thursday, 6 October 2005, 9:41 pm

I've Got To See You Again
Norah Jones
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Sultry & Smooth...

Sultry vocalist and pianist Norah Jones developed her unique blend of
jazz and traditional vocal pop with hints of bluesy country and
contemporary folk due in large part to her unique upbringing. Born
March 30, 1979, in New York City, the daughter of Ravi Shankar quietly
grew up in Texas with her mother. While she always found the music of
Billie Holiday and Bill Evans both intriguing and comforting, she didn't
really explore jazz until attending Dallas' Booker T. Washington High
School for the Performing and Visual Arts. During high school, Jones
won the Down Beat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist and
Best Original Composition in 1996, and earned a second Best Jazz
Vocalist award in 1997.

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BillySHEARS

Monday, 10 October 2005, 10:20 am

Understanding Love
Marilyn Scott
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Suave, Sophisticated & Smooth...

Match a classic song stylist with a deep love for jazz, blues, soul,
timeless melodies and lyrics, and a magical genre-defying
transcendence can't help but blossom. Over the course of eight
previous recordings, Marilyn Scott has established herself as one of
contemporary music's premiere singer/songwriters - carrying on a quiet
but steady love affair with the great American songbook. Her rendition
of "The Look Of Love," from 1998's 'Avenues of Love' earned producer
George Duke a Grammy nomination for best arrangement with a vocal,
and earlier recordings feature stunning versions of the classics, "The
Summer Knows," "You Don't Know Me" and "You Don't Know What Love Is."

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BillySHEARS

Thursday, 13 October 2005, 8:34 am

Shape Of My Heart
Sting
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BillySHEARS

Friday, 14 October 2005, 6:49 pm

Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
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Smooth With Style...

One of the most gifted, visionary, and enduring talents ever launched
into orbit by the Motown hit machine, Marvin Gaye blazed the trail for
the continued evolution of popular black music. Moving from lean,
powerful R&B to stylish, sophisticated soul to finally arrive at an
intensely political and personal form of artistic self-expression, his work
not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its
impact as an agent for social change.

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BillySHEARS

Saturday, 15 October 2005, 3:31 pm

The Nightshift
The Commodores
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Smooth Chart Toppers...

Known for such hits as "Just to Be Close to You," "Easy,"
and "Brickhouse," to name a few, the Commodores were one of the top
bands during their long tenure at Motown. The group is credited with
seven number one songs and a host of other Top Ten numbers on the
~Billboard charts. They also have a vast music catalog that has
generated more than 50 albums, and the recordings continue to be in
demand.

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BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 7:53 am

The Dream
David Sanborn
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Smooth Sax Man...

David Sanborn has been the most influential saxophonist on pop,
R&B, and crossover players of the past 20 years. Most of his recordings
have been in the dance music/R&B vein, although Sanborn is a capable
jazz player. His greatest contributions to music have been his
passionate sound (with its crying and squealing high notes) and his
emotional interpretations of melodies which generally uplift any record
he is on. Unlike his countless number of imitators, Sanborn is
immediately recognizable within two notes. While growing up in St.
Louis, Sanborn played with many Chicago blues greats (including Albert
King) and became a skilled alto saxophonist despite battling polio in his
youth.

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BillySHEARS

Friday, 21 October 2005, 9:48 am

Do It To Me
Lionel Richie
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Smooth Legacy...

You can comb the incredible statistics surrounding the amazing career
of Lionel Richie and still miss something. You can factor in the nearly 60
million albums sold, the five Grammy's, twenty two top ten hits, an
Oscar for best song, a golden globe, a treasure chest of People's choice
and American Music Awards too numerous to count, and a discography
of albums and singles that navigate an emotional landscape that only
few writer/performers have ever truly captured – and still not see what
may be the key to this incredible musical legacy.

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BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 25 October 2005, 4:54 pm

Chicago Song
David Sanborn
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BillySHEARS

Friday, 28 October 2005, 9:29 am

At Last
Joss Stone
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Smooth Sun-Kissed Blonde...

English singer Joss Stone was just 16 when she emerged on the
pop/rock scene in 2003. Ready to take on the pop domination of Britney
and Christina with a sound wise beyond her teenage years, Stone
positioned herself among the more established and credible artists
(Norah Jones, Jill Scott, Nikka Costa) reigning adult alternative
pop/rock. Born Joscelyn Eve Stoker in 1987, the sun-kissed blonde
darling grew up listening to American soul and R&B. Aretha Franklin was
a favorite and in time, Stone realized that she possessed an impressive
throaty vocal style with both depth and emotion, much like her idols.

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BillySHEARS

Monday, 21 November 2005, 5:14 pm

Through The Fire
Chaka Khan
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Smooth From The South Side...

Best known for her superb 1984 cover of Prince's "I Feel for You,"
R&B singer Chaka Khan enjoyed solo success as well as popularity as a
member of the group Rufus. Born Yvette Marie Stevens in Great Lakes,
IL, on March 23, 1953, she was raised on Chicago's South Side, and at
the age of 11 formed her first group, the Crystalettes. While still in high
school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with
Motown great Mary Wells; a few years later, she adopted the African
name Chaka Khan while working on the Black Panthers' breakfast
program.

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BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 4:42 pm

And I Love Her (Him)
Diana Krall
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Smooth & Sexy....

Pity poor, beautiful jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall. Since her
Canadian youth, Krall, steeped in Fats Waller records by her collector-
father, has suffered the double-whammy of lovely blonde looks that got
her at once noticed and dismissed as a credible player. Her crisp, Bill
Evans-style floods of notes were honed at Berklee School of Music but
have taken second place, on the advice of her jazz mentors, to the
throaty, covered alto voice. Successive albums of romantic standards
and bluesy ballads like 1996's "All for You" and 1997's "Love Scenes"
prove Krall's no-callow belter, deepening in expression and brilliance as
time and mood demand. Comparisons to, on the one hand, Carmen
McRae, and, on the other, Sharon Stone, may plague her, but the shiny,
slopey blonde package never blurs Krall's conquest of the keyboard,
nor her victorious vocal assertions.

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BillySHEARS

Saturday, 26 November 2005, 3:13 pm

This Time Around
Boney James
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Very Smooth....

A solid saxophonist whose style falls on the R&B-ish and pop side of
jazz, Boney James (who is heavily influenced by Grover Washington Jr.) is
a consistent best-seller who can always be relied upon to put on a colorful
live show. Born James Oppenheim, he grew up in New Rochelle, NY. The
future Boney James studied clarinet when he was eight, switching to
saxophone two years later. When he was 15, his family moved to Los
Angeles. James was soon playing in a fusion band (Line One) which was
strong enough to open for Flora Purim and the Yellowjackets. After a year
attending U.C. Berkeley, he transferred to U.C.L.A. so he could continue
playing with the band. He earned a degree in history but became a
full-time musician after graduation, doubling on keyboards.

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BillySHEARS

Friday, 2 December 2005, 11:02 am

Christmas Time Is Here
Diana Krall
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Smooth & Sexy.... user posted image

Pity poor, beautiful jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall. Since her
Canadian youth, Krall, steeped in Fats Waller records by her collector-
father, has suffered the double-whammy of lovely blonde looks that got
her at once noticed and dismissed as a credible player. Her crisp, Bill
Evans-style floods of notes were honed at Berklee School of Music but
have taken second place, on the advice of her jazz mentors, to the
throaty, covered alto voice. Successive albums of romantic standards
and bluesy ballads like 1996's "All for You" and 1997's "Love Scenes"
prove Krall's no-callow belter, deepening in expression and brilliance as
time and mood demand. Comparisons to, on the one hand, Carmen
McRae, and, on the other, Sharon Stone, may plague her, but the shiny,
slopey blonde package never blurs Krall's conquest of the keyboard,
nor her victorious vocal assertions.

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~Shears user posted image

BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 8:46 pm

Merry Christmas Darling
Carpenters
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Smooth Rich Voice....

Performing songs that some condemned as fluff but millions loved, the
Carpenters became an amazing success story after bursting onto the pop
music scene in 1970. Karen and Richard Carpenter had 12 Top Ten singles
and released 17 albums during the 1970s that each sold over a million
copies. The duo generated sales of 80 million records worldwide with their
soft-rock sound, which was "the squeaky-clean antidote to the early-70s
brew of antiwar protests and acid rock,"

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BillySHEARS

Saturday, 10 December 2005, 4:55 pm

Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Celine Dion
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Smooth For The Holidays....

Rising from humble beginnings in the small town of Charlemagne,
Quebec, Celine Dion became one of the biggest international stars in pop
music history, selling more than 100 million albums worldwide. The
youngest in Adhemar and Therese Dion's family of 14 children, Dion grew
up in an environment full of the inherent chaos and material austerity that
comes with such a large working-class family. However, the Dion
household was also one filled with love for children and music, and her
parents and siblings were important figures in the early development of
her singing career. Celine Dion began singing in her parents' piano bar
when she was just five years old.

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BillySHEARS

Monday, 12 December 2005, 6:59 pm

Candlelight And You
Jonathan Butler
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Smooth & Laid-Back...

South African expatriate Jonathan Butler isn't really a jazz artist, but his
laid-back, slightly jazz-tinged approach to R&B/pop has earned the
singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer a lot of supporters in the urban
contemporary, adult contemporary, quiet storm, and smooth jazz/NAC
markets. Butler has enjoyed a following since the late '70s, although he
reached his commercial peak in the late '80s, and he continues to tour and
record in the 21st century. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, in October
1961, Butler was only a child when he started singing and playing acoustic
guitar. Butler, who was the youngest of about 12 children, absorbed a
variety of music when he was a kid.

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BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 9:14 pm

Mas Que Nada
Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66
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Smooth Brazilian....

For most of the second half of the '60s, Sergio Mendes was the
top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles
and LPs that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group Brasil
'66 regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in
America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both ock and easy
listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners
beyond the work of the company's co-founder, Herb Alpert. During this
period, he also became an international music star and one of the most
popular musicians in South America.

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BillySHEARS

Thursday, 15 December 2005, 3:30 pm

Feliz Navidad
José Feliciano
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Smooth Latin....

One of the most prominent Latin-born performers of the pop era,
singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano was born September 10, 1945 in Lares,
Puerto Rico; the victim of congenital glaucoma, he was left permanently
blind at birth. Five years later, he and his family moved to New York City's
Spanish Harlem area; there Feliciano began learning the accordion, later
taking up the guitar and making his first public appearance at the Bronx's
El Teatro Puerto Rico at the age of nine. While in high school he became a
fixture of the Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit, eventually quitting
school in 1962 in order to accept a permanent gig in Detroit; a contract
with RCA followed a performance at New York's Gerde's Folk City, and
within two years he appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival.

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BillySHEARS

Monday, 19 December 2005, 3:17 pm

Now 'Til Forever
Kirk Whalum
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Memphis Smooth....

From his beginnings in Memphis, where he played in his father's church
choir, Kirk Whalum drew inspiration from the rich musical traditions of that
city, including gospel, R&B, blues, and eventually jazz. He received a
scholarship to attend music school at Texas Southern University, where he
formed a band in 1979 and began playing on the local club circuit. When
he opened for Bob James in Houston in 1984, the pianist was impressed
with Whalum's expressive style and invited him to play on his album 12.
Whalum signed with Columbia and released his first solo album, Floppy
Disk, in 1985. That album and the next two -- And You Know That! (1988)
and The Promise (1989) -- were produced by James, continuing their
fruitful partnership. The early '90s brought two more Columbia albums --
Caché in 1993 and In This Life in 1995 -- each of which brought Whalum
increasing commercial attention and critical praise.

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BillySHEARS

Thursday, 22 December 2005, 12:39 pm

This Christmas
Donny Hathaway
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A Smooth, Gospel-Inflected Romantic Croon....

Donny Hathaway was one of the brightest new voices in soul music at
the dawn of the '70s, possessed of a smooth, gospel-inflected romantic
croon that was also at home on fiery protest material. Hathaway achieved
his greatest commercial success as Roberta Flack's duet partner of choice,
but sadly he's equally remembered for the tragic circumstances of his
death -- an apparent suicide at age 33. Hathaway was born October 1,
1945, in Chicago, but moved to St. Louis when he was very young, and
began singing in church with his grandmother at the scant age of three. He
began playing piano at a young age, and by high school, he was
impressive enough to win a full-ride fine arts scholarship to Howard
University to study music in 1964.

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BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 28 December 2005, 5:23 pm

At Last
Joss Stone
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A Smooth, Sun-Kissed Blonde....

English singer Joss Stone was just 16 when she emerged on the
pop/rock scene in 2003. Ready to take on the pop domination of Britney
and Christina with a sound wise beyond her teenage years, Stone
positioned herself among the more established and credible artists (Norah
Jones, Jill Scott, Nikka Costa) reigning adult alternative pop/rock. Born
Joscelyn Eve Stoker in 1987, the sun-kissed blonde darling grew up
llistening to American soul and R&B. Aretha Franklin was a favorite and in
time, Stone realized that she possessed an impressive throaty vocal style
with both depth and emotion, much like her idols.

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BillySHEARS

Friday, 30 December 2005, 5:13 pm

I'd Rather
Luther Vandross
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Naturally Smooth....

In R&B music, Luther Vandross ranked with Prince, Stevie Wonder, and
Michael Jackson as one of the most successful singer/songwriters and
producers of the '80s. Amazingly, unlike those peers, for the most part he
did not cross over to widespread pop appeal, a situation that finally began
to change at the end of the '80s. Vandross had an elastic tenor that made
him a natural for backup singing and commercial work in the early '70s,
when he became a top session vocalist. In the second half of the '70s, he
recorded under a variety of guises, cutting two albums for Cotillion under
the name "Luther," recording with the session groups Roundtree and
Change, and singing on hits by Chic.

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BillySHEARS

Monday, 9 January 2006, 6:32 pm

California Dreamin
Dana Owens (Queen Latifah)
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The Queen Gets Smooth....

Queen Latifah was certainly not the first female rapper, but she was the
first one to become a bona fide star. She had more charisma than her
predecessors, and her strong, intelligent, no-nonsense persona made her
arguably the first MC who could properly be described as feminist. Her
third album, Black Reign, was the first album by a female MC ever to go
gold, a commercial breakthrough that paved the way for a talented crew
of women rappers to make their own way onto the charts as the '90s
progressed. Latifah herself soon branched out into other media, appearing
in movies and sitcoms and even hosting her own talk show.

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BillySHEARS

Sunday, 15 January 2006, 4:56 pm

Window
Fattburger
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San Diego Smooth....

One of the most popular pop/jazz groups, Fattburger has been
classified by some as new adult contemporary music, contemporary jazz,
or smooth jazz. The San Diego-based unit has survived through many
trends and still plays the same type of accessible funky music that was its
original goal. Saxophonist Hollis Gentry, while in high school, led a group
(Power) that opened for Cannonball Adderley at a college concert in 1972.
After graduating, Gentry toured with R&B groups. He attended San Diego
State University and during the second half of the 1970s had opportunities
to play straight-ahead jazz with Bruce Cameron.

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BillySHEARS

Sunday, 29 January 2006, 2:18 pm

Trippin
Toni Braxton
IPB Image

Smooth, Sultry & Ravishing.... IPB Image

Toni Braxton was one of the most popular and commercially
successful female R&B singers of the '90s, thanks to her ability to
straddle seemingly opposite worlds. Braxton was soulful enough for
R&B audiences, but smooth enough for adult contemporary;
sophisticated enough for adults, but sultry enough for younger listeners;
strong enough in the face of heartbreak to appeal to women, but
ravishing enough to nab the fellas. Wielding such broad appeal, Braxton
managed to score not one, but two albums that sold over eight million
copies; naturally, they were accompanied by a long string of hit singles
on the pop and R&B charts, one of which -- "Un-break My Heart" --
ranks among the longest-running number one pop hits of the rock era.

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~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 8:17 pm

The Way You Move
Earth, Wind & Fire With Kenny G
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Earth, Wind, Fire & Smooth...

Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically
acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by
drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice
White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also
incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk,
African music, and, later on, disco. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra
dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk
workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group,
work a simmering groove like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit.

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~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Friday, 17 February 2006, 10:00 pm

Narrow Daylight
Diana Krall
IPB Image

The blonde beauty can sing....

Pity poor, beautiful jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall. Since her
Canadian youth, Krall, steeped in Fats Waller records by her collector-
father, has suffered the double-whammy of lovely blonde looks that got
her at once noticed and dismissed as a credible player. Her crisp, Bill
Evans-style floods of notes were honed at Berklee School of Music but
have taken second place, on the advice of her jazz mentors, to the
throaty, covered alto voice. Successive albums of romantic standards
and bluesy ballads like 1996's "All for You" and 1997's "Love Scenes"
prove Krall's no-callow belter, deepening in expression and brilliance as
time and mood demand. Comparisons to, on the one hand, Carmen
McRae, and, on the other, Sharon Stone, may plague her, but the shiny,
slopey blonde package never blurs Krall's conquest of the keyboard,
nor her victorious vocal assertions.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Narrow Daylight"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Sunday, 19 February 2006, 4:45 pm

Hips Don't Lie
Shakira
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A Smooth Sexy Latin....

After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-
born Shakira became Latin pop's biggest female crossover artist since

Jennifer Lopez broke down the doors to English-language success.
Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained
an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially

for a female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own
material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's
most ambitiously poetic lyricists.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Hips Don't Lie"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Thursday, 23 February 2006, 10:11 pm

Birdland
Manhattan Transfer
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Smooth Close Harmonies....

Riding a wave of nostalgia in the '70s, the Manhattan Transfer resurrected jazz
trends from boogie-woogie to bop to vocalese in a slick, slightly commercial
setting that sometimes failed to gel with the group's close harmonies. Originally
formed in 1969, the quartet recorded several albums of jazz standards as well as
much material closer to R&B/pop. Still, they were easily the most popular jazz
vocal group of their era, and the most talented of any since the heyday of
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross during the early '60s.

When the group was formed in the late '60s however, Manhattan Transfer was a
hippie cornball act similar to Lovin' Spoonful or Spanky & Our Gang.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Birdland"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Monday, 27 February 2006, 6:52 pm

Be Without You
Mary J Blige
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Smooth Textures & Flavors....

When her debut album, What's the 411?, hit the street in 1992, critics and fans
alike were floored by its powerful combination of modern R&B with an edgy rap
sound that glanced off of the pain and grit of Mary J. Blige's Yonkers, NY
childhood. Called alternately the new Chaka Khan or new Aretha Franklin, Blige
had little in common stylistically with either of those artists, but like them helped
adorn soul music with new textures and flavors that inspired a whole generation of
musicians. With her blonde hair, self-preserving slouch and combat boots, Blige
was street-tough and beautiful all at once, and the record company execs who
profited off of her early releases did little to dispel the bad-girl image that she
earned as she stumbled through the dizzying first days of her career.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Be Without You"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 1 March 2006, 8:47 pm

George Benson
Love X Love
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Smooth Greatness....

George Benson is simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, but he is
also an amazingly versatile musician; and that frustrates critics to no end who
would paint him into a narrow bop box. He can play in just about any style -- from
swing to bop to R&B to pop -- with supreme taste, a beautiful rounded tone, terrific
speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, always, an unquenchable
urge to swing. His inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes
Montgomery -- and he can do dead-on impressions of both -- but his style is
completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best
rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger,
particularly in a soul-jazz format.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Love X Love"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 6:49 pm

Bobby Caldwell
What You Won't Do for Love
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Smooth Voice....

Contemporary jazz singer/guitarist Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951,
in Manhattan, NY; his parents, Bob and Carolyn, were the hosts of the television
variety show #Suppertime and exposed the child to a wide variety of musical
influences. Caldwell began studying piano and guitar at age 12; he initially
pursued a career in rock & roll but was equally adept at playing jazz and R&B and
at 17 took his band on the road to play the Las Vegas circuit. From there the group
moved on to Los Angeles, but despite recording an album titled Kathmandu,
Caldwell enjoyed little success and eventually returned to his parents home in
Miami. There he began work on his 1978 breakthrough album What You Won't Do
for Love, scoring a hit single with the title cut.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "What You Won't Do for Love"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Sunday, 12 March 2006, 6:07 pm

Norman Brown
Rain
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Smooth Soul-Jazz.... IPB Image

Guitarist Norman Brown splashed into the soul-jazz scene in 1992 as a recording
artist for MoJazz and quickly went on to win substantial acclaim, beginning with his
award-winning second album, After the Storm. Both ~Gavin and #Soul Train
named it Jazz Album of the Year, and After the Storm remained on the charts for
over two years. Suddenly critics drew comparisons to other astonishing jazz
guitarists from the past such as George Benson and Wes Montgomery, and Brown
became the toast of the soul-jazz crowd. Following the remarkable success of
After the Storm, Brown continued to wow jazz listeners.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Rain"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Thursday, 16 March 2006, 6:21 pm

Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
Joy And Pain
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Distinctive Smooth Sound....

The sound is distinctive—passionate, creative, original, soulful, honest, and
powerful. For nearly thirty years Frankie Beverly and Maze have created a unique
sound and become one of the most influential groups in modern history. Their
1976 debut album, MAZE Featuring Frankie Beverly, produced a string of hits,
including “Lady of Magic” and “Workin’ Together.” They followed up their
successful debut with a parade of equally successful albums throughout the
1980’s, topping the charts with singles like "Travelin' Man," "Feel That You're
Feeling," "Joy and Pain," "Look in Your Eyes," "Southern Girl," and “Never Let You
Down.” As they continued to gain momentum, they solidified their international
standing, selling out concerts around the globe with their legendary live
performances.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Joy And Pain"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Sunday, 19 March 2006, 4:18 pm

Coral Princess
3rd. Force
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A Smooth, Force of Nature....

One of the mainstays of the Higher Octave label, 3rd Force is an instrumental
trio composed of multi-instrumentalists William Aura (also the group's producer
and chief composer), Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi, plus varied and frequent
guest musicians. 3rd Force is considerably more eclectic than most artists who fit
into smooth jazz radio formats; in fact, their work often straddles the line between
smooth jazz and dance-heavy, electronic-tinged acid jazz, sometimes
incorporating ethnic influences as well. 3rd Force's self-titled debut appeared in
1994, and a series of "force"-themed titles followed: 1995's Force of Nature,
1997's Vital Force, and 1999's Force Field, all at a similar standard of quality.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Coral Princess"
If a page pops up, click the play button.

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Friday, 24 March 2006, 1:05 pm

Randy Crawford
Silence
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Smooth Fiery Vocals....

Randy Crawford's initial notoriety came from her fiery vocal on "Street Life," a
1979 song matching her with the Crusaders that was included on the soundtrack
for Burt Reynolds' film #Sharky's Machine. Crawford was born in Macon and grew
up in Cincinnati; she worked in clubs as a teen, accompanied by her father.
Crawford was lead vocalist in a group that included bassist Bootsy Collins before
touring as George Benson's opening act in 1972. Cannonball Adderley invited her
to sing on his LP Big Man.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Silence"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 9:35 pm

Everything But The Girl
Rollercoaster
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Smooth Lite Jazz....

Originating at the turn of the 1980s as a leader of the lite-jazz movement,
Everything but the Girl became an unlikely success story more than a decade
later, emerging at the vanguard of the fusion between pop and electronica.
Founded in 1982 by Hull University students Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, the duo
took their name from a sign placed in the window of a local furniture shop, which
claimed "for your bedroom needs, we sell everything but the girl." At the time of
their formation, both vocalist Thorn and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Watt were
already signed independently to the Cherry Red label; Thorn was a member of the
sublime Marine Girls, while Watt had issued several solo singles and also
collaborated with Robert Wyatt.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Rollercoaster"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Friday, 31 March 2006, 6:28 pm

Maxi Priest
What A Woman Needs ~&~ Golden Lady

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Silky-Smooth Voice....

Christened the "King of Lovers Rock" by his fans, British reggae star Maxi Priest
was one of the most internationally popular reggae singers since Bob Marley.
Priest's pop and modern R&B influences didn't exactly endear him to reggae
purists, but they gave him a strong crossover appeal that paid off in the
trans-Atlantic chart-topper "Close to You." At times he strayed too far from his
reggae roots to deliver a true stylistic hybrid, but his silky-smooth voice was
ideally suited for light, romantic material, and his best music was as sensual as it
was soulful.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "What A Woman Needs"

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Golden Lady"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Monday, 3 April 2006, 8:04 pm

Everwanting To Want You To Want
Maxwell
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Smooth Neo-Soul....

Along with fellow founders D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell was enormously
important in defining and shaping the neo-soul movement that rose to prominence
over the latter half of the '90s. Drawing his greatest inspiration from the concept
of the R&B auteur (looking to artists like Prince, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder,
etc.), Maxwell recorded some of the most ambitious R&B of his time, becoming
wildly popular and often earning critical raves in the process.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Everwanting To Want You To Want"
If a page pops up, click the play button.

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Wednesday, 5 April 2006, 4:38 pm

Secret Rendezvous
Slim Man
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Smooth Jazz Kiss....

Delivering the elegant warmth and beauty of jazz-kissed adult
contemporary melodies...consistently high quality music making brings joy.
Slim Man's Sade/Marvin Gaye ambiance fits right in the pocket.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Secret Rendezvous"
If a page pops deup, click the play button.

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Friday, 7 April 2006, 9:45 am

Stay A While
Jimmy Sommers
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Smooth Sax....

The Mt. Prospect, IL, native first picked the alto saxophone in the fourth grade
when on "instrument day" he chose the sax, even though he didn't know what it
was. His first recording was as a featured soloist with the MacArthur Junior High
School jazz band. As a teen, he would use fake IDs to sneak into nearby Chicago
nightclubs such as ~Kingston Mines to jam with blues musicians. Attending on a
music performance scholarship at Southern Illinois University, Sommers began
leading his own band. He was invited to play the "Star Spangled Banner" at center
court for a Chicago Bulls game. During Atlanta's 1996 Olympic summer games,
Sommers performed for the athletes in the Olympic Village.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "Stay A While"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 7:31 pm

You're Makin Me High
Toni Braxton
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Smooth, Sultry & Ravishing.... IPB Image

Toni Braxton was one of the most popular and commercially successful female
R&B singers of the '90s, thanks to her ability to straddle seemingly opposite
worlds. Braxton was soulful enough for R&B audiences, but smooth enough for
adult contemporary; sophisticated enough for adults, but sultry enough for
younger listeners; strong enough in the face of heartbreak to appeal to women,
but ravishing enough to nab the fellas. Wielding such broad appeal, Braxton
managed to score not one, but two albums that sold over eight million copies;
naturally, they were accompanied by a long string of hit singles on the pop and
R&B charts, one of which -- "Un-break My Heart" -- ranks among the
longest-running number one pop hits of the rock era.

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Listen to the entire song:
Click here to hear "You're Makin Me High"

~Shears IPB Image

BillySHEARS

Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 2:20 pm

It's You That I Want
Pieces Of A Dream
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Soothing Philly Sounds...

Comprised of bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and
keyboardist James Lloyd, Pieces of a Dream was founded in 1975 in
Philadelphia when the principal members were all teenagers. Originally
somewhat jazz-oriented, Pieces of a Dream has mostly emphasized
R&B although they usually include a few jazz numbers in their
performances. Grover Washington, Jr. produced their first three albums
(all for Elektra during 1981-1983); they have since recorded for
Manhattan and Blue Note. Saxophonist Ron Kerber became a member
i